Living Life
by PokePotterfan93
Summary: Harry falls into a small depression after the death of Sirius. It takes a plucky Auror and a bookworm to get him back to normal. Harry/Tonks to start, Harry/Tonks/Hermione later in chapter. Rated for innuendo, language and mentions of sex.


Losing Sirius was bad enough. Getting his friends hurt was bad enough. Finding out that he was the prophesied person to kill Voldemort was bad enough. But getting stuck back with the Dursleys was the icing on the cake. Harry glanced up at the ceiling from his 'bedroom', trying not to lose control of what was left of his emotions. Anger was starting to come a lot quicker to the forefront of his mind and that was scaring him. He sat up for a moment, running a hand through his hair. The constant thoughts of the battle running through his head hadn't been good for his health, but he had to try and figure out the best way to fight off the Death Eaters.

' _I should have been fuckin' training. Not chasing after Cho like a lovesick puppy.'_ He thought to himself, taking his glasses off to clean the dust from them. "Three steps to the left, one quick Expelliarmus and he'd still be alive." The battle constantly played out in mind. "Duck, blasting curse, shield, duck. Hermione wouldn't have been hurt…"

He didn't bother to turn the light on in the room. Darkness allowed him to focus his thoughts. The idea of artificial light blasting through his eyes half of the night didn't appeal to him. He had grown up in the darkness of a cupboard, not the open space of the boys' dorm or the rather spacious (in regards to said cupboard) bedroom he currently resided in. He walked carefully towards the window, focusing his sight around the house.

Tonks was on guard duty, he could see her dragonhide boots peeking out through her invisibility cloak. The girl would eventually get killed from stupid mistakes like that. Tonks was more relaxed than most of his handlers. He unlocked the door, making his way outside to sit beside her.

"Those boots part of the uniform?" He asked sarcastically, holding a bottle towards the air.

"You should be asleep. And I've told you about the drinking!" She replied, taking a single swing from the bottle nevertheless. "Still having flashbacks?"

Harry shrugged. "Not as much as last week." He took the bottle from her, downing half the contents. "How's the leg? Not many people could be back on the job so soon after a nasty break like that."

Tonks snorted. "Magic, my dear boy." She said, making her features match Dumbledore's. "I'm right as rain, kid. You don't train under Mad-Eye the Sadist without being able to take a hit." She glanced at him. "You need a shave."

Harry shrugged again, running a hand through the stubble. "Haven't has the motivation to shave. Haven't had the motivation to do anything if I'm being completely honest. It's not easy to get fired up."

Tonks frowned. He shouldn't have had to hold that much on his shoulders. Hell, at his age she was running around having fun. Poor kid should have been snogging birds in discos and having the time of his life, not sitting on the path with a bottle of whiskey. She checked her watch, clicking her tongue as she thought. "He wouldn't want you to be like this, Harry. He'd want you to be happy and celebrate life. Sirius was all about living life." She snorted. "The stories my mum could tell you about him."

"Really?" Harry smiled weakly. "I know one. Him and dad got involved in a ten-broom race from Liverpool to Cairo. They fell off their brooms somewhere in Germany a week after the race started."

"I remember that." Tonks chuckled. "Mum had to go and grab their drunken arses home. That was funny as hell." She stood up, walking him back into the house. She walked into his bedroom, frowning at the state of it. "You want me to change up the place?"

"I'm good." Harry sat on the bed, resting his head on one of the lumpy pillows. "Look, I'm not going to mince words with you about everything, but you need to start being careful. If a Death Eater had seen your boots instead of me, you would have been killed in an instant and then your mother would've lost another family member."

Tonks frowned. "I knew what I was doing." She insisted, crossing her arms in defiance of his statement. She sighed once after a few seconds. "I was careless. It happens, Harry. The best of the best at one point have all been careless at one time or another. War has a habit of fucking with people's heads."

Harry bit the inside of his cheek. "War? This isn't a war, Tonks. War is fought with coordination, strategy and focus. This is three old men having a pissing contest. Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The Minister and his sycophants, who all support Voldemort to some extent. And then you've got Dumbledore, who WON'T ALLOW US TO FUCKING KILL OUR ENEMIES!" He clenched his fist. "These aren't people, Tonks…they're animals."

Tonks wrapped her arms around him for a brief hug. "Shh. Let it all out…" She whispered softly, holding him close to her chest. "This shouldn't be your fight…"

"It shouldn't be yours either." Harry whispered back, wiping his eyes. "This is all down to the fact that we listen to a pacifist for a leader. Dumbledore's a great man, but he isn't suitable for a war commander. Mad-Eye. Kingsley. Even you'd be a better choice than Dumbledore." He sighed once more. "We shouldn't have to clean up their mess…"

Tonks carefully lay Harry down on the bed, lying beside him. "Did you ever just try and enjoy life?"

"What's the point?" Harry asked back, turning his head to look at her. "Especially now that I know what my role is. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it the last few days. I'm the lamb to be lead to slaughter. Dumbledore knows I can't beat him. Better to sack me off so someone else can finish the job." He scoffed. "Why try and have a life when you're just a pawn on the board?"

Tonks frowned deeply. "Don't you dare say things like that!" She snapped at him. "You're going to live. Have a life and bunch of adorable ass fucking kids with the worst hair possible! You're. Going. To. Live!" Her eyes watered. "Say it!"

Harry looked into her eyes. "Why do you care so much? I'm just one person, Tonks. If my death is what's needed for this to end, then I'll gladly lay my life on the line. What's one person's life in regards to thousands…?"

Tonks slapped him. Hard. "I care because I…"

"You what?" He mumbled, holding his cheek.

"I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" She blurted out, immediately going beet red.

Harry's eyes widened. "You're six years older than me." He reminded her. "You've been around blokes who are infinitely cooler than me, and a lot better looking. Why would you like a skinny, spectacled guy like me with more fucking baggage than Heathrow?"

Tonks smiled at him, stroking his other cheek. "You're someone special, Harry. You've got an amazing heart and the ability to rally others to your cause. You're going to live. And I'll make sure of that!"

- **Living Life** -

The first few weeks after Tonks' declaration of love had been an eye-opening experience for Harry. Tonks had done nothing but try and pull him out of the funk he had been in by forcing him to finally live his life for himself for a change. It had started with what he could only describe as hell on earth; clothes shopping! Tonks had him on parade in several different clothes shops.

Her choice of clothing was just too rocker for his liking, but he did agree with her idea of dragonhide boots and a matching jacket. Other than that, his clothing was mostly neutral colours and warm clothes for when he went back to school. Then he finally had been introduced to one of Tonks's greatest loves, horror movies. She was a real fan of watching anything to make her yelp or squeal in fear. After that, he thought the surprises would end, but then, Tonks' has gotten permission for Harry to stay in her flat. That was hell at first.

Tonks was the epitome of a slob. Harry had spent the first day there alone cleaning up and sorting out all the washing. Thankfully Tonks lived in a muggle area, so he had access to the downstairs launderette. It had been a bit embarrassing collecting up her undies, but he swore that they were close to being classed as sentient beings and to be honest, it looked like she was buying new ones instead of just cleaning the old ones.

Cooking had become one of the things he insisted on too. Merlin help whoever had the displeasure of one of Tonks' home cooked meals. They were worse than any potion that Madam Pomfrey could ever shove down his throat. But he enjoyed cooking for her. She was thankful of every meal cooked for her and she was quick in showing him affection for those meals.

That was the main thing for him. He was now apparently in a relationship with a smoking hot 22-year-old Auror. Tonks was really adamant on that as well. Hell, the woman was going to kill him with love at this point. He stirred the chilli for the final time, checking on the rice and tortillas. He opened the fridge, grabbing two bottles of beer and a packet of shredded cheese. He knew Tonks would be in a mood. It was the weekly Order meeting.

The click of the door alerted him to her arrival. "How was the meeting?" He asked curiously, pouring her out a glass of beer.

"Eh." Tonks frowned, kissing his cheek once she smelt the food. "That. Smells. Divine." She sat down, smiling over at Harry. "Molly had an aneurysm when she found out you're staying here."

Harry plated up their meals, bringing them over to the table. "I knew she would. But I'm not ready to face everyone right now." He poured his own beer into a glass, taking a long pull from the glass. "But I think you and I should tell them about us."

Tonks stopped her fork mid bite. "A-Are you sure? That's a big step, Harry. We don't have to rush into it." She avoided his eyes for a moment. "I know a lot of people won't exactly accept it for what it is, but I do love you, Harry."

Harry smiled, kissing her softly. "I love you too, Dora." He whispered softly, stroking her hand. "But we do need to tell them about us. The longer we keep it from them then the more they'll think we're going behind their backs and laughing at them. Most of them are quite childish when it comes to their thinking after all. We're better off getting it out in the open. Then, we can start having some fun." He chuckled slyly, finishing his beer. "I'm not going back to Hogwarts." He said softly. "There's no point in me being in a school full of children when I'll just put them all in danger. I mean we know that he's eventually going to get brazen and go after me when he feels like he can win."

Tonks nodded, biting her lip. "And you think you'll be safe with me?"

"We will be when we pick out a safe property. My grandparents' old manor has some of the best wards available in it. We can be safe and then we'll be able to coordinate with the Order to end this war and live our lives." He rested his forehead against hers. "You've given me a new reason to fight. I want to be there to have a life now, Dora. In six weeks you've done more for me than most people have in years."

Tonks felt tears welling up as he rested his forehead against hers. The boy was more of a romantic than he actually realised. She nuzzled his nose with hers, kissing him quickly before she devoured the food he had prepared. "Hmm, Merlin help me." She grinned. "My boytoy can cook."

Harry chuckled. "And my cougar is super sexy."

Tonks faked an offended look. "Cougar?! Why someone must want to test out the sofa!"

Harry nibbled her ear gently. "Like you could do without me in bed."

Tonks let out a soft moan. "Hmm, time for dessert."

- **Living Life** -

Hermione couldn't believe it when she entered what had been the Potter ancestral home for the first time in her life. The house was bloody huge! At least they had a better Headquarters for the Order since Harry had graciously allowed them to use his home as their base of operations. She walked through the halls of the home, hoping to find her friend. She stopped outside a room, taking a peek in at what could only be the library. She walked in, grinning at the sight of all the books that the Potters owned. Oh, she'd be living in this room for as long as possible. Her musings were broken as she heard movement from one of the shelves. She walked towards the source of the noise, clapping her hand over her mouth to stop from gasping.

Harry had Tonks held up against one of the shelves, thrusting himself into her as she bit his shoulder to stop herself from moaning. Her legs were tightly wrapped around Harry's bare bum and from what Hermione could see, she was forcing all of Harry's rather large length into her. "Oh baby, yeah." He moaned out, turning his head to nibble on her earlobe. "Hermione!" He yelped out, falling onto the ground.

Hermione winced as she watched Tonks land on top of her supposed lover, her knee plunging into his privates. "Harry! Tonks!" She quickly shut the door so no one else would enter the room. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?!"

Harry let out a sigh of relief as Tonks cast a numbing charm on the affected area. "What does it look like, Mione? We were studying." He replied sarcastically. "I think I might have landed on one of my boys…"

Tonks snorted a little, kissing him as she buttoned her jeans. She glared over at Hermione. "You could have knocked first!"

Hermione's face was bright red. "I wasn't expecting to walk in on the two of you…having sex!"

Harry rolled his eyes, standing up and bringing Tonks to her feet. "We were going to try and have a quickie in the kitchen, but we figured Molly had already begun to commandeer my kitchen." He smirked to himself, kissing Tonks' cheek.

Hermione shook her head at the two of them. "And just how long has this being going on?"

"Six, seven weeks." Harry gestured with his hand. "After I moved in with Dora the weeks just seem to fly in." He admitted with a shrug, fixing his jeans and shirt.

Hermione frowned. "Harry, she's…"

"I know." Harry frowned. "But I don't care. Am I not allowed some happiness in my life, Mione?!"

Hermione recoiled at his tone. He had a point. The two of them seemed to be happy. And she _had_ caught them in what could only be described as passionate sex, not some sloppy messing around like some of the girls in school were doing. "I'm sorry…" She whispered. "It's just, unexpected."

Tonks snorted. "Wait until everyone else finds out, they'll go livid." She felt Harry's hand squeeze her bum. "Careful Potter, I could easily make myself into a bloke next time."

Harry quickly removed his hand from her perfect arse, whistling innocently as he left the room ahead of the two women.

Hermione walked alongside Tonks. "I hope you're not just stringing him along…he's the happiest I've seen him since Sirius died…"

"I love him." Tonks assured the witch. "He came out to speak to me a few weeks ago…he was so broken. I, I just had to make him want to live his life, and he is super cute." She chuckled. "Plus, you've seen the goods."

Hermione blushed brightly again. "You two could have just stuck to a bedroom."

"We will, when we have to." Tonks smirked. "We still haven't christened the pool yet. Or the Master Bedroom. Plus, he's probably getting a little build up after you interrupted us from finishing."

Hermione found herself getting hotter after each word. "Tonks!" She hissed out. "That's private!"

Tonks shook her head. "You're a cute little prude." She pinched Hermione's cheek, walking into the main room. She stopped as everyone seemed to glare or stare at her. "I take it Harry's told you all?"

"Yep." Harry wrapped his arm around her. "And if anyone has a problem with this," He gestured to the door. "There's the exit. Don't let the door hit you on the way out." He checked the clock in the foyer. "Now, I do believe we've a couple of hours until the meeting, so if you don't mind," He slung Tonks over his shoulder. "I've a private swimming lesson to attend."

"Harry Potter! You let me down right now!" Tonks flailed around on his shoulder, blushing as she realised where his fingers were rubbing. "Yeah! Swimming lessons! Owl us if you need us!"

Harry chuckled. "Make yourselves at home! Library's open to anyone who wants to read. Mrs. Weasley, you have full reign of the kitchen until the elves kick you out." He made his way out of the room, whistling to himself to cover the sounds of Tonks' soft moans.

Hermione shook her head. "It's amazing the confidence she's given him in just a few weeks." She chuckled softly, making her way to the library. She closed the door, noticing that the smell of their actions was still in the room. She picked out a book, sitting on the comfy looking chair near the window. She opened the book, relaxing in the chair.

- **Living Life** -

Dinner that night was a somewhat subdued event thanks to the fact that Harry and Mrs. Weasley had cooked enough food to make everyone as big as Hagrid. Tonks had even dramatically expanded her stomach until her jeans button popped off and hit Ron in the head, which in turn just made every laugh. Harry was sitting beside her, kissing her cheek as he relaxed on the chair. It had been a tiring day in more ways than one. Most of the people had taken the news in a good way, but Ginny was glaring at them and Hermione couldn't look at them without blushing deeply.

Harry couldn't really care what any of them were thinking about the relationship. From what he had heard, Molly Weasley had been pregnant with Bill when she was finishing up her N.E.W.T exams, while he was enjoying himself in a relationship with someone he loved. He finished the last of his dessert, polishing off the cream from his plate. "So, we should discuss the rules why we're all here." He wiped the remaining cream from his mouth, placing the tissue on his plate. "First off, this is _my_ house, not your headquarters. My elves have been warned that theft won't be accepted. If ol' Dung tries anything, they've been told to tie him down, put ferrets on his body and toss him in the Hippogriff enclosure."

Several people chuckled when he said that. Dumbledore sipped his cocoa, nibbling on a biscuit. "And your other rules?"

"Most of the house is off-limits to all of you. The elves have magically sealed rooms that I don't want you in, and only I can grant access." Harry finished his own coffee, "Last, and most importantly…I will not have anyone judge me within my own home. I'm with Tonks. We're happy. Anyone who has a problem with that, leave now." He stood up, taking Tonks' hand. "We'll see you all in the morning."

Dumbledore smiled softly. "Of course, we'll abide by all rules." He watched Nymphadora's face light up as they left the room. "Not a romance I could see in the works." He commented lightly.

"Albus! She's a bit old for him!" Molly frowned.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Harry's always been an old soul, Molly." He finished his cocoa, standing up. "And can you honestly remember the last time Harry has smiled so much?"

Molly sighed. "No, I honestly can't." She chuckled softly. "But, he's got to be careful! I mean for Merlin's sake, they were having sex in that pool."

Hermione blushed. "They are in a relationship."

Molly rolled her eyes. "You children nowadays, horny little cretins the lot of you."

"Says the one who got pregnant in her final year." Dumbledore waved to them as he left the room.

- **Living Life** -

Tonks panted as they finished their final session of lovemaking for the night. Harry had his head resting on her chest, which she didn't really mind in the slightest. She ran her hand through his hair as she caught her breath, letting out a soft laugh as she finally realised that all of them now knew about their relationship. She had her eyes closed, which made the soft feel of Harry's fingers on her side feel even better. She felt herself falling for Harry more and more every day since they began living together.

"Careful," She moaned softly as his fingers brushed her thigh. "We'll go into a coma if we shag anymore."

Harry chuckled softly, kissing her forehead. "I'd die with a smile on my face." He nudged her cheek with his nose, moving so he lay beside her. "I can't remember the last time I've seen Hermione so flustered over something." He smirked.

Tonks laughed. "I know. She's such a prude at time. Bless her." She felt Harry's arm encompass her, smiling as his lips caught hers. She felt his hand moving below her stomach. "One more time before bed then." She smirked, kissing him deeply.

- **Living Life** -

 **Eight months later**

The war didn't take too long once Harry had his mind on actually living. He and Tonks had spent many nights discussing the different meanings of 'neither can live while the other survives'. Their research had brought up several different theories on what that could actually mean. The first one was simple, that neither of them could actually live while the other was alive. That was utter bollocks. Otherwise they'd of both died in Little Hangleton Graveyard. Their second take on the meaning was that something was keeping their fates locked. They had discussed this to Dumbledore, who had taken their theories seriously. The problem was what could it have been.

Dumbledore had then explained his Horcrux theory to the two of them. Thanks to Tonks' access to the Auror Corps library and the texts that Dumbledore had in his own personal library had allowed them to run into the use of Horcruxes. Dumbledore's personal theory of six Horcruxes so there would be seven soul pieces was shot down instantly from the texts the Aurors had on Horcruxes. Harry deduced that the actual amount would be closer to four. He surmised that three of them would be in the possession of the Dark Lord's trusted lieutenants, while the final one would be hidden. Harry and Tonks received a huge shock when they discovered that the source of the hidden one was Harry himself. That started their research on sealing a Horcrux out of its vessel and into something that could be easily destroyed.

It became funny for Harry when he finally realised that he did want to live now that he had Tonks in his life. They worked night and day until they did manage to find the only way to move the Horcrux to another vessel. The decision was easy to make and within six weeks, Harry had the fragment moved into a small insect, so they could easily just stamp on it to destroy it.

The remaining two, which had been relatively easy to find once they found the locket in the slippery hands of Mundungus Fletcher. The remaining Horcrux was in the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange. Thanks to Harry's access to the vault as the head of the Blacks, he was able to just walk in, grab the cup and destroy it within seconds. The decision was then made that Harry's part of the war was done.

Tonks had taken an extended leave from work when that had been decided, heading to the island Sirius had first used as a hideout with her love. When they returned six weeks later, Voldemort had been defeated by Dumbledore and they were tanned to a nice golden hue. Harry knew then that his life needed Tonks in it forever. He didn't want to scare Tonks off by proposing so soon, so he instead focused on spoiling her as much as he could.

They sat in Potter Manor, laughing alongside Ron and Hermione as they watched a movie on the new television that Harry had purchased. It was part of Hermione's N.E.W.T project in Ancient Runes. She was convinced that she could finally solve the problem of having technology blowing around magic. She was quite proud of herself as they finished the dumb comedy movie that Tonks had chosen.

"So, what's your plans now, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously, finishing the last slice of her pizza. Harry's cooking was so good, she could actually consider trying to get him for herself. Merlin, the man was perfect sometimes.

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure." He finished his beer, resting his head against the cushions. "I was thinking about getting into the Hippogriff breeding business. It's not a bad business to get into." He wrapped his arm around Tonks. "Other than that, we're going to head to Italy for a week. It's nearly our one-year anniversary."

"Aw!" Hermione gushed. "That's so cute!" She noticed Tonks hadn't touch a drop of alcohol the entire night. "Any other interesting things going on?" She asked, her tone more playful than before.

"Tonks is retiring." Harry shrugged again. He noticed Hermione's eyes going slightly glazed. She was starting to figure things out. "We're hoping to move into a smaller place too. The Manor is great and all, but we want something a bit, cosier."

"And why would that be?" Hermione followed up her earlier question.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "I'm pregnant." She sighed. "We're trying to keep it on the down low until we're ready to tell people. Harry and I had too much of a _merry_ Christmas." She smirked.

Harry chuckled. "Oh yeah, blame Christmas. I didn't hear too much moaning on the day."

"Because I had a bauble in my mouth!" Tonks reminded him.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to regret this, but why was there a Christmas decoration in your mouth?"

Tonks grinned. "I gave Harry a special Christmas present."

Harry kissed her softly. "She wanted to try out something a little more…kinky. So, I tied her up with tinsel, stuck a bauble in her mouth and spanked her with one of her presents."

Hermione went a signature red tint that she took on whenever she was around Harry and Tonks. "You two are bloody insatiable! You know you won't be able to any of that now that there's a baby on the way?"

"We know." Harry and Tonks answered together.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly Harry, being a teenage father!"

Harry chuckled again. "Merlin help me, Mione. You're just such a prude at times." He kissed her cheek. "I think Tonks' idea of bringing you to bed one night might be worth the effort."

Hermione's blush deepened. "You two are perving on me?!"

Harry grinned a little, watching Tonks wink at him. "Maybe, once or twice."

Tonks moved closer to her, whispering something into her ear. "What do you think?"

"Eep!" Hermione squeaked out, running from the room as fast as she could.

Ron laughed, wiping tears from his eyes. "What do you say to her?"

"That she was staying the night and she'd wake up with us in her bed." Tonks held her sides, shaking her head. "She should know better than to try and lecture us at this point."

Harry grabbed the plates, bringing them to the kitchen. Once Ron had said his goodbyes and left, he and Tonks retired to their bedroom, smiling as they just lay holding each other. He loved just holding her in his arms. Not to mention the fact that they were having a baby. He had been shocked at first, but after that…he had just held her the entire night. He knew he was a young father. He'd be seventeen and a half when the baby was born, but that didn't matter to him. "I think you may have scared her." He chuckled.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "She reads all those trashy romance novels, Harry. The greatest fantasy in those things is joining in when a couple are shagging." She heard a knock on their door. "Come in, Hermione. We're decent."

Hermione walked into the room, smiling at them. "I just wanted to say goodnight." She kissed Harry's cheek. "And Tonks, I'd love to join in whenever you let me." She gave her a wink. If the woman wanted to play games, she'd play her bloody games.

Tonks grinned. "Oh really?" She sat up in the bed, ushering her over. "And what if that was right now?"

Hermione sat on the bed. "Then I'd be up for it." She wasn't going to let herself blush. She was done with Tonks' constant teasing of her.

Tonks smirked. She was really trying to act brave, but Tonks was up for the challenge. "Hermione, I don't think you could handle your first time being with two people."

"And what makes you think it's my first time?" Hermione challenged.

Tonks grinned. "You're just too innocent when it comes to sex. Harry used to be the same." She stroked Hermione's cheek. "Go to bed, before you end up getting in over your pretty little head."

Hermione huffed at that. She smirked a little though. Sounded like Tonks was the one who was starting to get scared. "Scared I'll rob your boyfriend from you?"

Tonks laughed. "That's it." She shed her top, capturing Hermione's lips with her own. She had given the girl enough chances to give up. "Harry, get undressed."

Hermione blushed as Tonks kissed her, but she wasn't backing down anymore. She removed her own top and bra, matching any move the Auror made. She felt another pair of lips on her body as Harry began to kiss her neck. This was it. She couldn't back down…

- **Living Life** -

Hermione woke up the next morning, feeling sore as she remembered what had happened the previous night. She had sex with Harry and Tonks! She couldn't believe that she had gone through with it. Harry's arm was around her, while her head rested on Tonks' breast. She had Harry's semen leaking from her, which had freaked out. She didn't have any birth control! She began hyperventilating. She couldn't get pregnant now!

"Relax." Tonks whispered, stroking her hair softly. "I made sure to use a spell on you." She continued gently stroking the woman's hair. "You ok?"

Hermione nodded, closing her eyes as Tonks stroked her hair. "Why did you let me go through with that?" She whispered.

Tonks smirked. "Hermione, you may not realise it, but Harry's in love with you." She continued to speak in whispers. Harry deserved some peaceful sleep. "He all but admitted it to me when we first started dating." She smiled. "I made a choice then, that if he chose you instead of me, then I'd back down and let you two have a good life." She stopped playing with her hair. "Then, came the will reading. Harry discovered he was in charge of both the Potter and Black families." She sighed. "Which meant, that Harry would probably have to take two women in his life…"

Hermione frowned. "That's not fair on you!" She had to stop herself from shouting.

"I know." Tonks whispered sadly. "But then, I decided to throw little hints at him when it came to you." She stroked her cheek. "I wanted it to be someone Harry cared about. And someone _I_ cared about." She let her smile become normal. "You're what we need." She kissed her softly. "I'm too impulsive. Harry's too accommodating when it comes to love. You're the logical one we'd need to ensure we didn't fall apart."

Hermione bit her lip. "Tonks…I don't think I can do that."

Harry opened his eyes. "You two are loud." He kissed Hermione's forehead. "It's up to you, Hermione." He stroked her other cheek. "If you leave, we'll understand." He promised her. "And I hope we'll always be friends anyway, but I can't lie and say you're not one of the loves of my life. I just…never thought I'd be alive this long. I had this idea of me dying before I reached seventeen, so I didn't bother to live my life." He smiled sadly, turning his gaze towards Tonks. "Then, Dora changed my life for the better." He kissed Tonks' forehead. "I love you, Mione. Have done since we were kids…"

Hermione's eyes watered. She captured Harry's lip in a gentle kiss. "My parents would never approve…"

"I know." Harry whispered. He rested his forehead on hers. "I can't ask you to abandon your muggle routes just for me."

Hermione wiped her eyes. "I love you too, both of you." She held Tonks' hand. "I want to be with you."

Tonks kissed her softly. "Shh, it'll work out for us." She assured her.

Hermione held onto them, crying softly as she thought about everything they had said. "I don't want to be alone…I want to be with you both…" She sniffled, keeping her hold on them. "I don't even care if my parents don't allow it. We've been drifting away ever since I entered Hogwarts." She closed her eyes. "We barely talk anymore. We don't even talk about school…"

Harry kissed her forehead. "You can repair that relationship, Mione." He promised her. "Don't throw away that chance because of me."

Hermione wiped her eyes. "Harry, what's the point? My parents wanted me to go to university and be a dentist…" She sniffled again, holding onto Tonks' hand for support. "They're just waiting until I'm eighteen, so they can just cut ties with me in a professional way."

Harry kissed her forehead again. "I promise, that you will never be alone." He held onto her and Tonks, grinning. "Now, how about some breakfast in bed? I can make pancakes."

Hermione smiled. "That'd be nice."

- **Living Life** -

 **Five years later**

Harry stretched as he heard the alarm clock beeping. He got out of bed, heading down to the kitchen to get started on breakfast. Hermione and Dora were still fast asleep, which allowed him to work without distractions. It was somewhat of a tradition in the Potter household for Sundays. He'd make pancakes for everyone in the house. His thoughts couldn't help but think back to what had happened with the Grangers when Hermione had turned eighteen.

True to her own words, her parents had basically offered to pay for her to get a modest flat. She had turned them out, introducing Harry, Dora and their son, little Teddy. Her parents had been disgusted when she had told them that they were in what her parents called a sham relationship. When they got back to their new home, she fell into the bed and cried herself asleep. Those days were hard for her, but he and Dora helped her get through it. That was the point when Harry knew that he had found his true family in life.

Hermione didn't know what she wanted to do with her life at that point. She had lived her life on the merits her parents had set down during her early childhood. She watched Teddy for Dora when she had to return to work. It took three years for her to actually complete her contract with the Auror Corps. In that time, Hermione found that she truly loved being at home with a child.

Harry had offered her the title of Lady Black. She thought it was a great irony for a family of staunch pureblooded magicals to gain a muggleborn lady. Their marriage was controversial in the wizarding world, since there hadn't been a double marriage in five centuries. She and Harry had two kids within those first three years of marriage. Harry didn't want to stick any of his children with the legacy of a name. They chose names that were special to all three of them. Their firstborn was a daughter, who they decided to name after their midwife. Angela Portia Black was their daughter, and Dora's goddaughter. Their son Joshua joined them just a year and a half later.

Dora had married him a month before his wedding to Hermione. She had been pissed first that she couldn't continue using her surname as her primary name, but she liked the fact that most people called her Dora now. Only the Headmaster liked to tweak her nose by using the full name. She made Hermione the godmother to Teddy, since it allowed them to be mothers to all their children. She had decided to live an easy life after that. They had enough money to just live their lives happily. They did live in a quaint house though.

Compared to the twenty-bedroom manor, their five-bedroom home was just perfect for them at the moment. Teddy, Angela and Joshua could have a room each and they had a guest room for when the Tonks' stayed over, or even Ron and Lavender. It was a nice house for them to live in. The garden was perfect for a summer's day, while the large open living room allowed them to all cuddle together in the winter with a nice fire. It was a perfect home for them to live in and be a family. He knew they'd need a bigger one if they had more kids, but Hermione was content with three at the moment, and Dora wanted to wait until the kids were a little older, so they wouldn't have a load of teenagers at once.

He poured the pancake batter into the pan, putting on some bacon and extra items for them to snack on with breakfast. Dora's parents had been a lot more accepting of Harry and Hermione into their family, mostly since their daughter was the happiest she'd been in years. Harry had gotten bonus points since they tried his cooking. He liked Andromeda and Ted, they were good people. He'd plan a nice dinner for them all today. It was their turn to host the in-laws.

He turned to see his family coming down, smiling as he flipped the pancakes for them all to eat. It was days like this that he was happy Tonks confessed her love for him. She had been right. He was going to live.


End file.
